Category: Shelly’s pole fitness

Finally a video of my Compulsory routine from the USPDF CHAMPIONSHIP 2012! This routine is one of two required performances by each competitor from the same competition (the other has not been released yet). In this routine the require moves are the same for each of the 10 competitors, They are as follows:

Routine must be 60 seconds to 90 seconds maximum 20 seconds minimum of floor choreography (without touching the pole) 30 secs minimum of choreography on the spinning pole 1 Ayesha (held for 3 secs minimum) 1 Jade split (held for 3 secs minimum) 1 inverted switching leg hang spin (must be performed on static pole and go around the pole a minimum of one full revolution) 1 spin (must be performed on static pole and go around at least 2 revolutions) 1 full pirouette

A while back David Owen paid a visit to Twirly Girls Pole Fitness, one of the studios in the Bay Area where I teach pole dancing classes. Other than a couple of pole dance performance videos of him and that he likes to stretch and I don’t (even though I do it), I didn’t know too much about David prior to taking his workshop. What was so wonderful about learning from him is that the stuff he introduced to me was an extension of some of the pole moves that I was already working on, as such, I was in the right head space to learn them-there is such a beauty in a new perspective. I think what was key in his workshop was that he was able to handle multiple levels in class, and that he didn’t give out too much so we all had a chance to focus on a couple of things rather than a bunch of different things- pole moves take so long to master. He taught me a switching jade thing, I don’t know what he calls it, and also forced me to break out of my comfort zone and nail that reverse grab spin on the spinning pole (on a 50 too!). I really did get a lot out of his class.

On a personal note, everyone at Twirly Girls loved David ….I can’t imagine anyone not liking David Owen, he is such mellow, easy going, all around nice kinda guy. I am so happy to see that he is building a name for himself as an instructor, he really is very good at passing on his knowledge of various pole acrobatic techniques. David also gives great advice for improving your flexibility, as you might imagine. I hope to make my way to Vegas in the near future so that I can visit him, take a lesson and check out his new teaching grounds at Shine Alternative Fitness.

I started taking private lessons with master trainer Xiaohong (of San Francisco Circus Center) out of a desire to increase my strength and endurance for the pole dancing/fitness. My first experience was awesome and I was pleasantly surprised to find that, even though I busted my behind in class, I didn’t get the post training soreness I had anticipated; however, my body did poop out sooner than usual in my pole training session the next day. I attributed my brilliant recovery time to the incredible assisted stretching I got in between each exercise burst. So to all of you training pole fitness enthusiasts, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF STRETCHING.

We have begun working on the pole using Chinese acrobatic pole technique and I have decided that I don’t know sh!t about pole… I thought I was pretty strong, I guess I am compared to some other pole dancers, but my strength is like a total beginner compared to his. How humbling it is to work with someone like this, how inspiring! His tales of his circus training as a youngster in China have inspired me to train harder because I realize that, really, I am a lazy oaf in comparison, sad but true. I am appalled at how lacking my left arm strength is…in handstands (after doing many reps and then holding) i begin to sink down into the left side and he has to hold me up. Well, I will improve…I will get stronger!…I WILL, I WILL!

Twirly Girls Pole Fitness is hosting the second annual fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation on April 22, 2012.

From Rita:

“As you may know, I have been blessed thrice with the gift of life in the form of a kidney transplant….
Serious health problems affects the lives of not just the person who is sick, but also the lives of those who love them. To offer an organ to someone in need changes the lives of many. I ask for your support to help make the miracle happen for the next family. Please donate what you can today. Every penny helps.”

Sun. 4/22/2012 Save the Date: The Lovely Rita Fundraiser (showcase and rafflel) will be held Sunday, April 22, 2012!

Newsletter June ‘09

So I got a pretty good laugh from this article at Red Orbit about a town’s outrage of Elona Gano’s (I believe, former Pole Addiction instructor) new pole dance studio. “It is immoral”, says one resident.

I sooo cannot relate to this puritan attitude held by many when it comes to pole dancing for fitness. I personally say F@*k em and go about my business blessing the floor with my presence and wrapping my vice like thighs around a 10ft pole… I am getting the best workout in the world, ever! Having worked as a dancer in the industry I can assure you that most, not all, exotic dancers are doing little but using the pole to keep on balance of those 8 in. stilettos while they wag their assets at some prospective patron. So without my own rant, I’ll say, “live and let live”, even though I don’t really appreciate being forced to listen to Scientology rhetoric as I leave the Bart Station or particularly enjoy watching some naked stranger riding a bike down 3rd Street during WNBR

Need a pole definition, go to wikipedia. This is a super place to go to get pictures and names for many pole dance moves, like the “holly drop”, demonstrated here by one of my personal favorite You Tube girls Redke